Why do maggots grow on meat?
Maggots are the larvae of flies. They are laid as eggs in any material they will be able to eat their way out of as they grow, which is usually rotting meat.Life CycleFlies lay eggs in rotting material. The eggs grow into larvae, which are maggots. They eat a lot of food and grow through a few larval stages into pupae. They will stop eating as much at this point, and then become adult flies.Food PreferenceAny rotting, warm material is a good place to find maggots. Rotting meat, especially animal carcasses, offer ample food and warmth for the larvae while they grow.UsesMaggots are commonly used as bait for fishing, both dead and alive. There is also a type of therapy using maggots to chew through dead tissue around a wound.HistoryMaggots were once thought to come into existence from within meat. This was disproved by Louis Pasteur.WarningMaggots can cause a disease called Myiasis, which is when maggots live on a live animal or human, usually in a wound.
